1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for generating electricity from various motions of the oceans, particularly surface waves, internal waves and tides.
2. The Basic Physics of the Invention
This can be illustrated with a liquid barometer but also a pipe may be laid so one end is sunk to the bottom offshore and the other end is laid down ashore. The sunken end is open and the end ashore is closed. The whole pipe is filled with water and assuming the end ashore is not 34 ft. above the waterline the water will not drain out since air pressure on the ocean surface will support a maximum 34 ft. water column. If then the water column above the sunken pipe end is made to vary by the passage of surface waves for example, the pressure of the water within the pipe ashore is also made to vary. As stated the pipe end ashore is closed so if the pipe wall ashore is made flexible it will expand and contract depending on the pressure fluctuations in the pipe. The flexible wall may be formed as a Bourdon Tube or a Cartesian Diver. Thus the changing potential energy as expressed as pressure energy of the working fluid within the pipe and the elastic energy of part of the pipe wall may be converted into kinetic energy and then into electrical energy.
The basic idea of the invention may be applied to extract the energy of surface waves as well as internal waves. There are two preferred embodiments.
1. The Pipe is Extended Far Offshore with a Bourdon Tube Used Ashore.
The offshore end of the pipe ends within a large neutrally buoyant closed cylinder mounted within a sleeve so as internal waves impact the cylinder it tends to rise and fall. The cylinder is configured to act as a piston, alternately compressing and decompressing the water in the pipe and operating a Bourdon tube and connected generator ashore. A Cartesian Diver may be used instead of a Bourdon Tube.
2. As in Preferred Embodiment 1
But the cylinder is configured to ride surface waves instead of internal waves so the cylinder top lies slightly awash.
Accordingly it is a principle object of the invention to eliminate the need for complicated and expensive electrical equipment offshore.
Another object of the invention is to eliminate all significant movement from offshore structures. Regardless of the amount of energy transferred ashore the moveable parts of the offshore structure of the invention will have no substantial movement.
The third object of the invention is that as energy is transferred ashore through the pipe there is substantially no movement of the water through the pipe and no consequent friction loss.
Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the study of the following portion of the specification, the claims and the attached drawings.